Samsung reportedly to unveil two versions of Galaxy S6

Will Samsung try to top the Galaxy S5 with two variations of the S6?
Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung may try to challenge the competition with not one but two new variations of its upcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone.

The company, whose current marquee phone is the Galaxy S5, will reportedly roll out one model with a metal design, a change from the usual plastic, Business Insider said Monday, citing "sources familiar with the company's plans." The sources didn't say whether the new Galaxy S6 would offer a full unibody metal chassis or simply adopt metal accents. But an alleged metal frame for the S6 , leaked a few weeks ago, revealed a unibody design, Business Insider said.

Samsung has traditionally used plastic for the frame of its smartphones, unlike rival Apple, which uses metal for its iPhones. But plastic has sometimes been criticized as looking and feeling cheap, so Samsung has moved toward metal with such phones as its Galaxy Alpha .

The second S6 model purportedly in the works would feature a curved edge, just like Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge . The Note Edge uses the curved border to display icons and widgets to supplement the content you see on the main screen.

Whether or not these rumors are true, Samsung may feel the need to try something different with its Galaxy S6 in order to battle back against its rivals. The company has seen its operating profits and market share drop in the wake of greater competition. During the third quarter of 2014, Samsung sold 73.2 million smartphones across the world, earning it 24.4 percent market share, research firm Gartner said last month. During the same quarter in 2013, the company sold 80.4 million smartphones and snagged a 32.1 percent market share.

Though still tops in the smartphone market, Samsung has been facing more competition on the higher end from Apple, which last September launched its bigger-screened iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. On top of that, Samsung is being hit on the lower end by makers of less pricey mobile phones such as Xiaomi and Huawei, notably in key emerging markets such as China. As such, Samsung's challenge will be to show that the Galaxy S6 is still worth its premium price and features in an increasingly competitive global market.

Likely to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February, the Galaxy S6 would be outfitted with Android 5.0 Lollipop. No other details were revealed by Business Insider's sources. But previous rumors claim the S6 could sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 1,440x2,560 pixels along with a 20-megapixel rear camera. Samsung has also reportedly conjured up a code name for the S6 known as Project Zero, which suggests the company will rethink the phone's design from scratch.

Samsung may have more in the works for MWC. The company will also reportedly unveil a new smartwatch with a round screen, similar in design to Motorola's Moto 360, Business Insider added.